[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Meet the Superintendent Finalists, unless ...

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Meet the Superintendent Finalists, unless ...
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1238427687.shtml


   I just now noticed this subtle change in the process to hire the next
   Superintendent of the Robbinsdale Area Schools. This is from the
   District 281 web site:

     New Hope, Minn. (March 12, 2009) - Members of the community are
     invited to meet finalists for the superintendent position in
     Robbinsdale Area Schools April 7-9. The tentative schedule calls
     for as many as three finalists to each spend a day in the school
     district touring the district, meeting with staff members and the
     community and interviewing with the school board for a second time.
     Community members can meet with candidates during a question and
     answer session and social hour at 5 p.m. at the Education Service
     Center boardroom, 4148 Winnetka Ave. N., New Hope. A final schedule
     will be posted to the district web site on April 2.
     Candidates for the position will be evaluated by the school board
     in the next few weeks and the board will conduct first round
     interviews March 31 and April 1. If the board selects one of the
     finalists after the last interview, it would make an offer
     immediately and announce its decision as soon as the candidate
     accepts.

   There was no mention of that last sentence I highlighted in the
   original timeline, which calls for the search firm to submit its list
   of 5 or 6 candidates to the Board today, March 30.
   First round interviews are scheduled for March 31 and April 1, a
   process that was to winnow the field to 3 finalists. We the public
   were to be able to meet and greet them April 6-8 as part of their
   second interview. The Board would then have the rest of April to make
   its decision, make the offer, negotiate the contract, and announce the
   acceptance. The new Superintendent would then take charge on July 1,
   2009 when the retiring Stan Mack retires.
   Is there now a problem? Are we not getting the expected response?
   That's what happened at Anoka-Hennepin, the largest public school
   district in Minnesota. Their process produced only two finalists, both
   internal. Is Robbinsdale, also a large district, seeing the same lack
   of interest from qualified external candidates?
   If so, the decision could be made early on Wednesday, April 1. No
   fooling.